Little Earthquakes
by LemonSupreme
Summary: AU from the point in 1x10 where Mike knocks on Rachel's door.  This is the dark and twisty place where that very unsatisfying season finale took me. Other couples mentioned, but this is Bawson. Smut and angst.  You've been warned.  Title via Tori Amos.
1. Chapter 1

Mike fucks his ex wife because it's comfortable like an old familiar pair of cleats. And because she'd given him that look when she'd told him she was single again. He knew that look. Knew what was expected of him.

So he falls into her arms and it feels a lot like riding a bike. He remembers how she likes him to suck on her nipples and then blow warm air over the wet flesh he'd left behind. He remembers the way she likes to be stroked and that she always wants him on top (no matter how many times he mentions his aching knees).

He fucks his ex wife because obviously it's what he wants, right? Just two months ago he was at her house asking for a second chance. Well, ding, ding, fucking dong. Here's his second chance on a big fucking silver platter. Trouble is that his heart just isn't in it, and evidently his dick isn't either. Rachel whispers words of encouragement when he struggles to stay hard for her.

Finally, a very frustrated Mike shushes her and closes his eyes. Things click into place only when he turns his mind to the only place where he knows his dick really wants to be… with Ginny Baker.

Ginny fucks Noah because she's desperate to feel something – anything other than her wildly inconvenient desire for Mike Lawson. She can't have Mike no matter how much she wants him. She knows it and she knows he knows it too. So maybe Noah isn't the guy for her, but he's here and he's attentive and funny and sexy and her brain says he'll do just fine even though the rest of her body is not so easily convinced.

She fucks Noah because she needs to erase thoughts of Lawson from her mind. She needs the almost kiss from the other night to be surgically removed from her psyche. She needs Noah to fuck Mike right out of her system. He doesn't. Even when Noah is inside her (fucking her slow and steady because he's a gentleman, of course), she can't shake thoughts of the way Mike's beard had felt ghosting against her face.

She fucks Noah but has to fake noises of pleasure because his is not the body she wants. Not the body and certainly not the man she yearns for.

Later, Mike stares at the ceiling as he listens to Rachel's soft even breathing at his side. He wants to leave but doesn't want to hurt his ex's feelings. He still loves Rachel. He just doesn't want her anymore. Not like that.

He only wants Ginny and it's killing him.

In the same hotel, on a different floor, in a different room, Ginny stares at the red numbers on her night stand clock. Noah is asleep and his snores echo in the stillness. Her heart aches with a loneliness he can't soothe. Her pussy throbs with a need he can't fill.

Noah is a nice guy. He just isn't the guy for her.

He's not Mike Lawson.

When the soft buzz of her phone alerts her to an incoming call, Ginny knows before she looks that it's him. She climbs out of bed and walks quickly into the bathroom before answering. "Yeah?"

"We need to talk." His voice is gruff.

She tells herself to hang up. Nothing good can come from this. But she doesn't hang up. "Okay. Let's talk."

"Not on the phone. What's your room number?"

"You can't come here." She blurts out the words too fast and the resulting silence is deafening. He's not an idiot. She rushes on, "I'll come to you. What room are you in?"

"No. Can't talk here either." His voice has an edge but Ginny isn't sure if he's pissed she has company or if he's feeling guilty that he does too.

"Where, then?"

"Bar in the lobby."

"It's 3 am. It's gonna be closed."

"Trust me."

She pauses a moment but not because she doesn't trust him. She trusts Mike Lawson in every way. It's herself she doesn't trust. She gives in anyway. "Okay. Give me ten minutes."

"I'll give you five." He disconnects before she can properly reply.

Ginny leaves her room without waking Noah and takes the elevator to the lobby. She's wearing a fitted tee shirt and Nike leggings. Her hair hangs in loose curls around her face. She gets to the bar's frosted glass door and frowns at the closed sign hanging there.

She's turning to leave when the door opens and Mike peeks out. "Get in here, Rookie."

Ginny pitches one eyebrow high. "Breaking and entering your thing now?"

He shakes his head. "I know the owner and he owes me a favor. Drink?"

She takes in his jeans, the plaid button down and the tousled hair. He looks as shitty as she feels. She scoots onto a bar stool. "Beer."

Mike goes behind the bar and grabs a long neck bottle from the cooler. As he hands it to her over the polished oak, their fingers touch for the briefest of moments. Ginny feels a surge of heat that goes straight to her core. In this one second, she is more turned on than when Noah was actually fucking her.

She runs a hand through her curls, berating herself for coming down here at all. This isn't going to end well. She closes her eyes, hoping to get her body under control before she does something stupid. She opens them slowly and finds that Mike has come around to her side. He also holds a beer as he settles on the bar stool next to hers. "You wanted to talk?" she asks, hoping to ease the tension that hangs heavy in the air.

"Who's in your room?" he asks, his expression is dark.

"That's really none of your business." She takes a drink. "Who's in yours? Amelia?"

"Rachel."

Ginny chokes on a mouthful of beer. She remembers the interview and how she had felt like she clicked with Mike's ex. The truth was she had liked her. Jealousy slithers down Ginny's spine anyway. "Thought you guys were over."

"So did I. Who is in your room?" he demands again.

"Why do you care?"

"Is it Livan?"

"No."

"Who is it?" His eyes burn into hers. He looks frantic and worried and sick all at once. It's unsettling.

"Fine. It's Noah."

"The geek from the IT company?" Mike looks unimpressed.

"That's not really what he is –"

"Yeah, I don't actually care. You guys serious?"

She wants to say yes and nip this - whatever the fuck this is – in the bud but her brain and her tongue are disconnected. "No. Not serious."

He takes a drink and his gaze falls to the mouth of the bottle. He stares at it. "Why him?"

"Why not him?"

"Is that the kind of guy you want? A millionaire with his own company?"

"Pretty sure he's a billionaire with his own company," she deadpans, taking a drink.

He shoots daggers her way with his eyes. "That's what you want? Money?"

Her mouth is a traitor once again. "No. Of course not."

He nods as if this is the answer he had expected.

"What about you? You and Rachel back together? That's what you've been wanting, right?"

"It is what I wanted."

Ginny shakes her head, feeling oddly defeated.. "I'm just going to go." She sets her beer down a little harder than she should have and stands.

Mike is fast for his age – especially considering the way he's always bitching about his bad knees. He's standing right in her face. "She's what I wanted before," he rasps, his eyes on hers.

"Before what?" Ginny feels like she's drowning in his intense gaze and she can feel his body heat rolling through the air between them. He smells like musky cologne and sex. This should make her want to run. Instead it makes her panties wet. "Before what?" she asks again, her pulse pounding.

"Before you."

"So you didn't fuck your ex wife tonight?"

"Oh, I fucked her." His face is so close that she can now feel his breath on her lips. This is like some crazy re-creation of that almost kiss from in front of Boardner's. She can't bring herself to step away.

"You slept with her and then called me?" Ginny licks her lips.

Mike shrugs. "You and tech geek? Did you fuck him and then take my call?"

"That's none of your business."

He shakes his head hard. "I'll take that as a yes, but you're wrong. You are my business."

"I'm your teammate."

He takes a step closer and Ginny is pressed between his thick body and the cool wood of the bar. "Yeah, we're teammates. I don't care anymore. I can't think. I can't sleep. I can't survive, not like this."

"Like what?" Her throat is dry and her panties are drenched. Every cell of her being wants this man. She wants to maul him and take him in deep. She wants him to not be a gentleman. She needs him to fill her and pound her until she can't stand up straight. Feeling unsteady, she reaches behind to support herself against the bar.

He puts his hands on her hips, squeezing gently. "I can't go on without you. Like you aren't the only one I want. Is that just me? Am I all alone in this? This wanting?"

Ginny bites her lip hard and shakes her head with a little jerk. Her breathing is ragged. "Not alone."

He growls like a caged animal and surges forward. His mouth is on hers, hot and frantic. His hands grasp and squeeze at her heated flesh and his hips roll against hers. His cock is like concrete against her belly and Ginny trembles as her pussy throbs with need.

She sucks on his lower lip and his tongue thrusts into her mouth to explore roughly. She responds in kind, sucking and biting and grinding against his mouth. This is what passion feels like. This is the way it should taste – all intensity and primal need.

Mike pulls away but stays close. His pupils are blown and his cheeks are flushed. "When you were with him, were you thinking about me?"

"What?" She's distracted by his closeness and his heat.

"Tech boy? Were you able to come without imagining he was someone else? Imagining he was me?" Mike sounds pissed at the very idea that it could be true. "Tell me, Rook - was I the only one who had to think of someone else just to finish tonight?"

"No." She's breathless and her pulse pounds.

"Don't you think it's time we fuck the one we really want?," he mutters as he moves in again, his mouth harsh on hers once more, his beard scraping the soft flesh around her mouth. Mike's body is all muscle and need and he's pushing against her like he can thrust all the way through her. She'll be bruised with the way he'd handling her.

She doesn't care at all.

Ginny growls into his mouth as he yanks at the hem of her tee shirt. They pull apart long enough for the shirt to fly and then they are pressed together once more. He licks her throat and grasps her tits in his calloused hands, kneading them roughly and pinching her nipples through the sports bra she's wearing.

"Want you, Baker. Want you so damn much." He ruts against her through their clothes, his cock thick and pulsing between them.

She answers by unbuttoning and pulling at his shirt and when it's gone she strokes his skin and scratches her short nails roughly across his back. He hisses out against her lips and she does it again. He won't be able to strip down in the locker room without comments.

He doesn't give a shit. Nothing matters except getting his cock inside this perfect woman.

She seems to have the same idea, yanking wildly at the snap on his jeans and jerking down the zipper. She pauses only when he puts his hand on hers. "Watch it, Rook. Get it caught in my zipper and we're gonna have to slow way down."

"No slowing down." She eases the zipper over his engorged dick, and then the urgency is back and she's shoving his jeans down his thighs. "So the captain goes commando?" she asks. "That's weirdly hot."

He smirks against her mouth. "Glad you like." He pulls at her leggings and tiny black panties and reaches between her legs, finding her dripping wet. Mike stills with two fingers buried deep. "This all you or both of you?" He sounds pained, as if the very thought that Noah had come inside her is killing him.

Ginny shakes her head. "He wore a condom."

"Good." He begins to fuck her cunt with his fingers, filling and stretching her. "You're tight. Even though you just – "

"You suck at multi-tasking, Lawson. Stop talking and move your fingers."

He grins against her mouth, his tone is dirty, "Yes ma'am.". He loves the way she gasps and writhes under his touch. "Gonna be moving a lot more than my fingers in a minute."

"Thank God," she mutters, grasping his dick and gently pulling him closer with it. She wraps her fingers around his girth and jacks him firmly. "Want you inside."

"Yeah you do." He boosts her back onto the barstool and she spreads wide for him, her gaze like fire that consumes his soul. He strokes her slit slowly, his fingers moving easily through the mess of her desire. She's swollen and soaked and his cock twitches against his belly.

"You on the pill?"

"Yeah. I am." Ginny takes over, grasping his erection and showing him where she wants it. He lets her line him up, but pauses, holding her gaze. "This isn't how I imagined this would go, Rook. Our first time was supposed to be different."

"Too late for candlelight and chocolates now, Lawson. Fuck me."

So he does.

Mike fucks Ginny not because she's familiar (she isn't). It's not because he knows exactly what she likes (yet) or because he needs to get someone else out of his head (she's the only one there). He fucks her because not fucking her is no longer something he is physically capable of.

Later he'll admit to himself that he probably loves her and has for a while. He'll be consumed by guilt for how this all went down. But not right now. Right now, his throbbing cock is balls deep in her sweet, hot pussy and his life has meaning again. He thrusts and grasps and licks and bites. He plows deep, panting and groaning as she wraps long toned legs around his waist.

He strokes her clit until she's quaking around his cock, coming so hard that her pussy clenches him like a vice. Her chest heaves and her body flutters and clenches around him as she winds down. Her eyes flutter closed.

He begins to thrust again, faster and harder than before. He's close and wants to make sure she remembers this moment forever - just like he will. Mike wants to brand it on her brain. "Open your eyes, Ginny."

She does as he asks, looking at him from under hooded lids. "Mmmm?" she asks, sounding content and maybe a little sleepy.

"Look at me, Rook. Need you to remember all of this."

"I won't forget. Can't."

"You got that right." Mike grasps her ass hard, his fingers digging into her hips as he slams his cock home. He pistons in and out. His body tenses and he comes hard, filling her with his seed. Mike's head falls forward, his forehead resting against hers. "Rook, you okay?" He's breathing hard.

She sags into him. "Yeah. I'm good."

They pull apart slowly and he slides from her warmth with regret. "That was amazing. Want to do that forever."

"Forever?"

He nods. "Listen, I'll tell Rachel it's over - for good this time. You tell tech boy to take a hike. We can figure out the team stuff later -"

She finds her clothes and pulls her panties on as he rambles. Unease stirs in her gut. "I don't know."

"What don't you know? That we just had mind blowing sex? That we should have done this days ago? Weeks?"

She puts her tee back on and closes her eyes, watching a mental parade of all the people who will be disappointed or outright devastated by tonight's events. It's a long line. Reality slams into her full force and she frowns as she pulls her leggings back on. "We'll see. We've got a couple games left and then Noah wants me to go on a vacation with him in the off season, so I might be gone for a while."

"You're going on vacation with _him_?" Mike yanks his jeans up but leaves them unzipped. A swirl of black hair is still visible between the zipper's teeth. "After tonight? After this?" He motions to the barstool where he'd mounted her.

"I don't know. Maybe." Ginny bites her lip and looks away. "He's a good guy, Mike. He deserves better than this. So does Rachel." She motions back and forth between them. "Did it feel good? Yeah, but it isn't right. You and me. We made a mistake"

"Not a mistake. Felt right to me. And you seemed pretty damn okay with it two minutes ago."

"I got caught up in the moment, but it was wrong. Noah doesn't deserve this and neither does Rachel. She's a good person. And if you didn't want her, why did you hook up with her tonight?"

"This thing Al said was in my brain. He said Chicago was the new girl who made me laugh and forget what I really wanted."

Ginny takes a step back, eyes wide. "So I'm Chicago? Rachel is the Padres? Jesus Christ."

"No!" Mike slams his fist onto the bar. "I'm not saying that. Nobody is Chicago and Al wasn't even talking about people. I just had that on my mind and when Rach said she and David broke up… I don't know. I screwed up."

"Yeah, we both did, and that's why we have to stop it now. If we let this continue, we'd hurt people we care about. We'd probably hurt our team..." She straightens her shoulders and looks him in the eye. "It's not worth it."

"So, you're just going to go back to him and pretend that my come isn't dripping down your thighs right now?" His expression is hard, his tone is bitter.

"Don't be an asshole. This is already bad enough." Ginny rubs roughly at her temples. She looks pained as dread and regret drown out the ecstasy from moments before. "Oh God, this was a mistake."

"No, it wasn't." Mike is adamant. "Me with Rachel – that was a mistake. You and Noah – that was sure as fuck a mistake. You and me – we are not a mistake." He rakes his hands through his hair.

"I gotta go." Ginny says, backing toward the door, her eyes on his, pleading silently for understanding. "I'll see you at the park, but this - it didn't happen. Do you understand me?"

"Ginny, god damn it! Don't go," he begs with a crack in his voice. "I need you."

But she's already gone.

 **A/N No beta on this one. All mistakes are mine. I have a second chapter half written...debating whether this is fine as is or if it deserves a more hopeful ending. Let me know. Does angst feel right here, or do you want to see that chapter two? Comments are always welcomed and adored, so leave one if you have a minute.**

 **Update... 2nd chapter will post within the next few days.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny wakes in stages and each one is more painful than the last. Her eyes are puffy and dry. Her temples throb and her face is raw from beard burn. Her breasts are tender from Mike's rough handling. She feels stretched and pounded from their encounter in the bar and she can feel finger shaped bruises blossoming on her hips. The muscles of her inner thighs are tight and sore and she figures nothing short of a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol is going to make her walk normally today.

In spite of her laundry list of discomforts, a slow warm smile spreads across her sleepy face as she remembers their time together. It had been so hot, but damn. Next time she'll have to ask Mike to not be so rough.

Her red rimmed eyes pop open as she remembers that there won't be a next time. Can't be.

And now her heart aches as much as any other part of her body does. It aches for him and for what maybe could have been but can never be.

Ginny sits up slowly, only remembering Noah should be in her bed when she sees the note on his empty pillow. It says simply "Goodbye",

She closes her eyes as guilt consumes her. The note might as well say 'GAME OVER'. Because clearly, it is all over where Noah is concerned.

* * *

Mike wakes with a jerk, feeling disoriented and ancient. He is slumped in the corner of the Omni Hotel's primary elevator. He's been here for a while. His eyes are bloodshot and the bags under them are dark and swollen. His back hurts when he moves. It also hurts when he doesn't move. His neck feels like he's being repeatedly stabbed by a fire poker. His knees throb.

None of it matters. Nothing matters except Ginny giving him another chance.

It wasn't until she had left him behind in the bar that the full weight of his feelings for her had hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew he liked her of course – had figured that out weeks ago. And he knew that it was more than lust - had realized that after listing off his random list of Ginny facts to Omar. And then there had been Boardner's and the almost kiss that has haunted him ever since.

But last night, it had really hit him. He didn't just want her body or her friendship. He didn't want a fling. He wanted her. All of her. He'd tried to follow so that he could tell her that - show her - make her understand - but she was already out of sight and he didn't want to go to her room. The idea of running into Noah there made Mike's blood boil.

He'd tried calling her cell but she wouldn't answer. He texted without response. Defeated, he had returned to the bar and sat on the very barstool where he'd had her - naked and willing - not so long ago. He'd sat there alternating his thoughts between memories of their passion and worry that he's screwed everything up beyond repair.

He opened a bottle of whiskey and poured himself two fingers in a glass snifter. It would be the first of many. He was staggering a little by the time he finally had his bright idea. He was in her hotel. He'd wait for her in the elevator. She'd have to come down to the lobby sometime.

* * *

Ginny's thoughts are jumbled as she gets out of bed. She feels guilty about Noah. She feels guilty about Mike. No, that isn't fair. Her feelings for Noah are one-dimensional. He's nice enough but she never had expected things to actually go anywhere with the tech billionaire.

But Mike… Mike is different. Her guilt there is a multi-layered intricacy of long denied feelings and unspoken truths. Ginny knows that she needs to process all of these feelings as well as her doubts and insecurities. Yes, Mike said he wants her - and had shown her pretty clearly that this is true. But what about Rachel? Mike has been pining for his ex-wife for a long time. How can Ginny compete with that? Does she even want to?

Ginny shakes her head. She has a lot to figure out, but she just can't deal with it right now.

She showers quickly and takes some Tylenol - not the whole bottle, but enough to hopefully make a dent in her numerous aches and pains. She gets dressed without thought, her every move is robotic. She locks her room and heads for the elevator. She presses the button without really looking at it, her eyes downcast as her thoughts swirl with memories of last night and how perfect it was right up until reality set in and she panicked.

The door opens and an unexpected movement catches her eye. She stares in shock when she sees a wildly disheveled Mike Lawson sprawled in the corner of the small space. He looks up at her with bloodshot eyes and lets out a sigh that is both relieved and exhausted. "Ginny."

"Mike?" She had known she would see him today at the park and she thought she'd prepared herself. She wasn't prepared for this - for seeing him here. "Why are you in my elevator?" she asks, stabbing at the 'door close' button and hoping nobody notices the San Diego Padres catcher doing his best impersonation of a homeless beggar in the hotel where she lives.

"Was looking for you, Rookie." He moves to get up but moans in pain and settles back down with a grimace. "We need to talk."

His face is as pale as his eyes are red. He looks haunted and tired and frankly, every one of his thirty six years. Maybe more. He's still wearing the same clothes from the night before but his shirt is buttoned crookedly.

Lawson looks like death warmed over, but still the sight of him makes her heart beat pound and her body hum. Ginny looks away, biting her lip. "Nothing to talk about."

"Not true." He reaches out with a groan and taps the stop button until it glows red. The elevator shutters and stills. "Not running away this time."

Ginny feels tears welling and she hates herself for showing any weakness at all as she faces him. She tilts her chin stubbornly. "Where's Rachel?"

"Probably still asleep. Haven't been back up to her room."

Ginny shakes her head. "You've been hanging out in this elevator?" She looks at her watch before continuing, "For four and a half hours?"

No. I drank for a couple hours, then I came here."

"Didn't anyone notice? A _lot_ of people stay in this hotel."

"Yeah, some people recognized me when they were going to their rooms or down to the lobby. I signed some autographs and there were some selfies with fans." He rubs at his temples. "There might have been a bachelorette party that came through... I don't really remember. I have bribed three different hotel employees so that they won't call the cops."

"But why? Why the elevator?"

"Because I wanted to see you." His expression says this should be obvious.

"What if I'd used the stairs? How long were you going to wait?"

"I –" He shakes his head. "Didn't think of that, I guess."

"Damn, Mike. This isn't okay. Those pics are probably already doing the rounds on social media. People know I live here."

"Speaking of people who know where you live; I rode down with Noah when he left. It was a couple hours ago I guess." Mike runs a hand over his beard. "He knows."

Her stomach falls. "Oh god. You mean about -"

Mike nods.

"What did you say to him?"

"Didn't have to say anything. Evidently you talk in your sleep."

"Shit." She drops her bag and slides to the floor at his side, defeated.

"So, like I said. We need to talk."

She rubs at her temples. "I still think that we should pretend last night didn't happen."

Mike chuckles without any humor. "No. I'm never going to be able to do that - to forget anything about what happened between us. And we are gonna talk about it. If you don't talk to me here, we'll talk at the clubhouse."

She holds up a hand, giving in. He's her friend and her teammate. Even if they can't ever be more (no matter how much she wishes they could be), he deserves to have a chance to be heard. "Fine. We can talk. Not here. Not now. Definitely not at the clubhouse." She shudders at that thought. "You need to sleep this off and I need some time to think. Meet me tonight after practice and we'll talk then."

"Boardner's at 10?"

"Sure. Whatever." She holds out a hand but he shakes her off.

"Nah. Gonna just sit here for a minute. Don't want you to see me stand up like an old man, all bent over and creaky."

"Pretty sure the jig is up. I know you're an old man." She stands and flashes him a sad, reluctant smile. "Anything I can do?"

"Call Blip, would ya? He can help me."

* * *

Blip Sanders is pissed. He's pissed that the twins finished off the milk and left the empty carton in the fridge. He's pissed about the flat tire he'd changed on the Jeep on his way home from the park last night. He's pissed at Mike for even considering leaving San Diego. He's pissed at his teammates who aren't as pissed at Mike as Blip is. He's pissed at Will for talking Ev into that stupid restaurant scam and he's pissed at Ev for saying she doesn't want any more kids.

It's not even 9 in the morning, but already Blip is not having a good day. When his phone rings and the caller ID shows an unknown number, he almost doesn't answer it. Almost.

"Yeah?"

"Mr. Sanders? My name is James Hillson. I run the bar at the Omni Hotel. A mutual friend of ours is in trouble. I'm hoping you can come here and help."

"The Omni? You mean Ginny? What's wrong?" Blip jumps to his feet, his heart pounding with worry.

"No, not Ms. Baker. I haven't seen her today. It's Mike Lawson. If you don't come here and convince him to go home, I'll be forced to call the police and I don't want to do that."

Blip sighs heavily and shakes his head. He wants to say no because Mike is a big boy and he should be cleaning up his own damn messes, but a police report could hurt the team and Blip doesn't want that.

He agrees to meet Mr. Hillson and disconnects the call. As he's tying his shoes, his mind wanders to the thing that worries him most. Why is Mike causing problems at Ginny's hotel and does this have anything to do with that weird speech he'd given Omar last week?

xxx

Evelyn wakes to find a hurried note from Blip on the kitchen counter. Something about needing to help MIke. She makes pancakes for the boys and turns on Spongebob. They are well into their second serving when the doorbell rings.

"Hi Ginny. Come in." Evelyn smiles but the smile fades when she sees Ginny's haunted eyes and tortured expression. She ushers her friend into the living room so that they can avoid little boy giggles and syrup covered fingers.

"You okay?"

"Is Blip here? I tried to call him."

"He went to help Mike with something. I don't really know what it was about." She sees her friend's relief at the news that Blip is with Mike, but something isn't right. "Ginny, you're scaring me. What's wrong? What happened?"

Ginny throws her bag on the floor and leans back into the couch cushions. "Everything is wrong."

"And?"

"And Mike happened."

"What do you mean? Is he hurt? Is that why Blip -"

"No. Not hurt. It's just that me and Mike…" She shrugs.

"What happened? Did you guys fight?"

"No. It wasn't like that… Last night, we…" Ginny doesn't say anything more, but her eyes are pleading as she looks at her friend.

Evelyn reads the expression for what it is and squeals like a schoolgirl. "You have got to tell me every damn thing. What happened? Did he finally kiss you? He did, didn't he? Was it amazing? Is he one of those guys who uses a lot of tongue? Did the beard get in the way?"

She doesn't answer and Evelyn frowns. "Wait, Ginny? Did you do _more_ than kiss Mike Lawson?"

Ginny shifts, leaning forward and putting her head in her hands. Her voice is barely a whisper when she answers. "So much more, Ev. So much more."

* * *

Almost two hours after he'd left, Blip comes home. The boys are engrossed in a lively game of Minecraft on the big screen and Evelyn is pacing the kitchen. When she sees Blip, she rushes toward him. "We have to talk. You are not going to believe -"

Blip shakes his head quickly. "We got company, Ev. Gonna let Mike take a nap in the spare room. He's uh, not feeling well."

This shuts Evelyn's mouth like little else could. She purses her lips as she watches Mike Lawson wave listlessly in her direction before being led through the room and down the hallway.

Blip returns after a few minutes. "Sorry about putting this on you, Babe, but he's in rough shape. Needed to sleep."

"And he needed to sleep _here_? Doesn't he have a mansion on the other side of town?"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if he'd actually sleep if he went home, okay?" Blip tosses a cell phone onto the counter. It's not Blip's phone.

"You confiscated his phone?" She cocks an eyebrow high.

"It's a long story." Blip shakes his head. "The man is a mess. He spent the better part of the wee morning hours camped out in a hotel elevator. Was about five minutes away from getting arrested." He throws up his hands. "I didn't know what to do. He's mostly sober now, but we have practice in four hours and a game tomorrow and that man is in dire need of sleep and a new outlook before he goes near the park."

"And you think he'll find his new outlook _here_? Doesn't he have somewhere to be? Someone to talk to?"

Blip narrows his eyes at his wife. "You know something."

She turns and opens the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water. "Hmm? What do you mean?" She unscrews the lid and takes a sip. She flashes him her innocent face.

"I just told you that Mike spent half the night in an elevator and you don't even ask why." He tilts his head, watching her. "You know."

Evelyn's composure melts under his gaze. "Maybe Ginny stopped by…"

Blip stands, panicked. "Is she still here? Please tell me she's not still here?"

"No. She left. She's a mess too, by the way."

"A mess? Like he hurt her or something?"

"No. Like she's a skittish colt who spooks easily, but she really likes him. I just don't think she's willing to admit just how much yet."

"Well, shit. Was hoping it was all one-sided."

"Well, it's not." Evelyn sits down at the kitchen island and watches her husband carefully. "Blip, what did Mike say about all this? What was his story?"

"Uh, well he said that he spent some time with Rachel -"

Evelyn snorts. "Spent some time?"

"Yeah, okay. He slept with his ex. Said he regretted it and that it was a mistake and whatever."

"And Ginny?"

"She was on his mind. He can't stop thinking about her and he was in her hotel anyway, so he decided to call her. Didn't know she had company." He glances over at Ev. "Guessing you know about that too? Ginny's company?"

"Yeah. The billionaire. I know. Go on."

"Mike is friends with this guy James who owns the bar in the Omni. Mike called in a favor and met Ginny down there even though it was closed and I'm guessing you know the rest."

"What I don't know is how Mike feels about all this. Is he still hung up on Rachel? I think Ginny is worried about that."

"Rachel is a non-issue. He acted like hooking up with her was a huge mistake."

"Okay. So, how does he feel about Ginny? What does he want from her?"

"Pretty sure that dumb son of a bitch wants to take her shopping for diamonds and picket fences. Idiot thinks he's in love with her."

Evelyn can't hide the satisfied smile that spreads across her face. "Maybe this is good?"

"No, Ev. Not good. It could kill the team. Could end her career before it really starts and scandalize what's left of his. The reasons that this isn't good for them could fill a book. A really long book."

* * *

When the time comes, Blip wakes Mike and urges him to take a quick shower. They ride to the park in Blip's Jeep. As they pull onto the freeway, Blip finally breaks the silence. "You feelin any better?"

Mike nods slowly. "I think so. Physically, anyway. I took one of those pink pills the doc gave me for my back. Helped some." He stares out at passing traffic. His expression is guarded.

"How about the rest? This morning - well, I never saw you like that before. Not sure I ever saw anybody like that before. You were a hot mess, Mike. You having some kind of mid-life crisis or something?"

Mike scowls. "No."

They ride in for several miles to the sound of sports radio which neither of them are really paying attention to. Finally Blip frowns at his passenger. "Hey, tell me the truth. The thing with Chicago. Did you okay the trade because of Ginny?"

Mike doesn't say anything at first. Eventually he sighs and nods. "Yeah. Once I finally figured out how much I liked her, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Couldn't imagine being that close to her all the time without, you know, being closer."

"Man, you and Ginny. I still can't wrap my head around that."

"She doesn't seem to want a repeat so probably not much to get your head around."

"Thought you said she agreed to talk."

"Yeah, but I don't think it's going anywhere. I screwed up."

Blip shakes his head, "Ah, hell no. You can't give up now."

"What?" Mike doesn't understand. "You said it was a bad idea. You said it a bunch of times."

"That was this morning. When you first told me, I was totally against you and Ginny as anything other than teammates and friends. You know that, but Ev and I talked all afternoon. I told her that the pros/cons list would be awful heavy on the cons side."

"What happened?"

"She showed me that maybe I was wrong."

"How?"

"She went digging around in some old trunk and handed me this." Blip pulls a couple of wrinkled notebook pages out of his pocket and hands them to Mike.

"What is it?"

Blip chuckles and shakes his head. "Ev never told me till today but when we started dating, her college roommate didn't like me. Didn't think we'd make it. She made this list of all the reasons we would fail and challenged Evelyn to come up with a bigger list of reasons we'd work out."

Mike scans the first page. It is full of neat but faded handwriting. " _Baseball players cheat on their women. You deserve a career. You don't want to leave school. You'll lose yourself. He's not good enough for you_ …" Mike glances over at Blip. "Some of these are harsh."

"Yeah, well check out Evi's 'Pro-Blip' response. It's on page 2."

MIke flips to the second page where Evelyn had written only one sentence. He reads it out loud. " _I love him_." Mike shakes his head. "Why are you showing me this, Blip? What are you trying to say?"

"I guess I'm saying that if you want to be with GInny, and she wants to be with you… well, I'll keep my list of reasons it won't work to myself. Cause maybe you guys know better than I do."

Lawson smiles for the first time since Blip had found him in the Omni's elevator. "Damn straight."

* * *

Mike has been on an emotional roller coaster for weeks. At first he'd tried to hide from the way he felt about Ginny. He'd tried and failed. Then that mess with Chicago had happened and maybe if he'd been traded, he could have moved on. Or maybe not. That almost kiss outside of Boardner's had done things to him that he still isn't over.

But even then he'd tried to stay away from her. He'd grasped at his past in an effort to avoid how important Ginny was to his future. It hadn't worked. His time with Rachel had been a mistake and the way he'd approached Ginny afterward had been wrong too, but Mike doesn't think any of that matters. Not now. All that matters is how he feels about Ginny. In his heart, he knows she feels the same way. He just has to make her see it.

So when Mike sees Ginny head into her private room in the clubhouse, he glances around and when he sees that nobody is paying attention, he follows her inside. "Got a minute?"

Ginny is digging around in her locker, her back to him. "I have to practice, Lawson."

"I know. Just want to tell you something."

She turns to face him. "What?'

"I'm willing to wait."

"Wait for what?" She shakes her head. "What are you talking about?"

"You. I'm willing to wait until you're ready. No pressure."

"It felt a lot like pressure when you were lying in my elevator like a drunken fool this morning. What changed?"

"I got some sleep. Sobered up. Talked to Blip and thought about things a lot. Hey, I'm not saying it's gonna be easy - the waiting." He walks her way, erasing the space between them. He turns her slowly and leans in close without touching. Ginny feels her breath hitch as he continues, "The waiting is gonna be hard. I mean, I know what you feel like now." He gently places his hands on her hips. His breath is hot on her ear and his voice is a coarse whisper. "I know what noises you make when I'm inside you. I'm not going to just forget all that."

She pushes at his chest, her pulse pounding. "I told you I'm not going to talk here. If you want to go over hitters for tomorrow, we can. Otherwise, this conversation is over."

"I'm sorry. Said I was going to wait, and I'm obviously not a very patient man."

"I hadn't noticed." She smirks, glad for a joke to break the tension.

He starts to leave but turns before opening the door. "I'm sorry for a lot of things, Ginny. I'm sorry for how things went down last night. I'm not sorry it happened, just wish I'd done things differently." He shakes his head, his eyes bore into hers. "Should have told you how I really felt at Boardner's. Should have talked to you like you wanted at the clubhouse after we almost kissed. Jesus. And I never should have gone to Rachel's room."

"But you did. You did go to her room." Ginny feels betrayed by the catch in her voice.

"And you invited Noah to yours."

They stare at each other. The tension is thick once again. He breaks the silence. I know you have doubts and you have your no players rule, but I hope you'll give me a chance."

She rubs her temples. "I can't do this right now, Mike. I just can't. Not right now."

"Just think about it. Okay? We'll talk it through tonight. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with you. You just have to decide if you want to be with me."

* * *

As darkness cloaks San Diego that night, Ginny stares at the clock on the wall of her hotel room. She should be at the bar with Mike right now, talking about her feelings or his feelings or maybe both. She isn't sure.

She just knows she isn't ready. This is _Mike_. This conversation he's dying to have could set things in motion that she isn't sure she's ready for. Is he really over Rachel? Was he being honest when he said that he wants a future with Ginny? What about the team? How would they ever play together again if they let things progress and it all falls apart?

Maybe Ginny is the one who needs to beg for a trade? She suddenly thinks there are worse things than leaving the Padres. Being in close proximity to Mike Lawson is going to kill her if this all goes south.

Hell, it might kill her either way.

Mike Lawson has been her ideal - her dream guy - for so many years, Ginny can't remember not being crazy about him. It had started innocently enough. Her dad wanted her to watch some MLB pitching footage. In one of the clips, there had been a young hotshot from San Diego at bat and although the pitch (a fastball thrown high and inside) had been perfect, the young kid had knocked it out of the park.

A week later, Ginny had a poster of that same hotshot on her wall and she started doodling "Ginny Lawson" in the margins of her composition notebook. She was twelve.

She's not twelve anymore and now her childhood crush isn't just a poster on her wall. Mike has become a teammate, a mentor and a friend, and her captain. She had long ago set aside her unrealistic crush, but as she'd gotten to know him - the real him; something new had developed in it's place. Ginny had tried to deny those feelings - had tried to brush them aside. It was working (mostly) but then yesterday happened.

Yesterday everything had changed.

Last night in the hotel bar, she'd given in to every repressed desire she'd ever had for him and he had responded in a way that told her he was definitely into her - just in case that moment outside Boardner's from the other night hadn't been clear enough.

She wants to accept this at face value. Wants to go to him and agree to whatever he suggests they do if it means more time with him. But she feels more like a rookie in the romance department than she's ever felt in baseball. What if she's missing something and this is all too good to be true? What if he realizes they made a mistake? What if he changes his mind?

* * *

Mike sits at the bar at Boardner's and stares into his drink. He is beginning to regret not making her talk earlier. She's late. Really late.

He hears the bell on the door and glances over. Blip walks his way and Mike's heart falls. "She's not coming?"

"Nope. But in her defense, she's still not at all sure what's going on inside your dumb head."

"I really care about her, Blip. Why can't she see what she means to me?"

"Well, it's all kind of new to her and also she's twenty-fucking-three, so you can cut her some slack. Maybe lay off the soulmate crap. I think you are scaring her a bit."

"What are you talking about?"

"Last night, you told Ginny you wanted to be with her forever. Ringing any bells?"

"Jesus. She told you about that?" He shakes his head. "Did she tell you everything?"

"Oh, hell no. Ginny didn't tell me anything at all. She told Evelyn and Evi told me." He shudders. "Told me way more than I ever wanted to know, to be honest."

"Well, I never said we were soulmates." Mike broods with a furrowed brow, staring into his drink. "Never said we weren't, though…"

"Listen, Man. I think she likes you a lot. Maybe as much as you like her but she's not good at letting people in or at relationships in general. And I think she's worried about Rachel."

"What should I do?"

"Maybe give her a minute to get her head on straight. She's a little overwhelmed, you know? When she is ready to talk, tell her the truth. Assure her that Rachel isn't a problem." He taps Mike on the shoulder. "She's not a problem, right?"

"No. We're done. We were already done. Just took me a while to figure it out."

"Good. So do all that. Tell her how you feel and listen to what she has to say. Then maybe you two can find some common ground."

"And you think that will work?"

"I think there's a decent chance. Hopefully, she'll get her other problem resolved too and then you guys can concentrate on how the hell you are going to be together without the team or the world figuring it out."

Mike's eyes narrow, as he ignores the comment about the team. "What other problem? Is it something about Noah Casey?"

Blip shakes his head. "Nah. He wasn't ever anything but a distraction. The other thing is Will." At Mike's blank look, Blip shrugs. "Ginny's brother. He's been stealing from her and maybe from me and Evi too. Ginny's upset about it."

Mike's brow furrows. "I didn't know."

"I know you didn't. That's why I'm telling you now."

"Tell me more. Tell me all of it."

* * *

 **A/N Yes...there will be three chapters total instead of two. I promise you that smut and happy endings are coming your way in that final installment. If you have a moment, let me know what you think about this one. Also, a big thanks to Irish for some much appreciated input on this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ginny is wide awake long before daylight shines through the windows of her hotel suite. She knows Mike will probably be pissed that she stood him up last night, but she had needed to think. So that's what she'd done. She had turned off her phone and laid around listening to music and just...thought about every damn thing.

And now it's morning and she's still thinking. She can't stop thinking.

She thinks about Mike and how much he's grown to mean to her in three months. She brushes aside her childhood crush because that had been about an image - a poster on her wall - a series of stats on the back of a baseball card. The real Mike is so much more than the contents of her junior high scrapbook.

The real Mike Lawson is, well… REAL. He's strong and confident. He's loyal and hard-working. He's funny and supportive. He has a laugh that drives her crazy - a smile that warms her from the inside out. He works hard and he plays hard. Yes, he can be growly and short tempered, but he's so much more than that.

The truth is that Ginny has a hard time imagining her life without Mike in it. She doesn't even want to try.

But the teammate thing is an obstacle that looms as big as Mount Everest. Can they move forward with this - whatever this is, and keep it quiet? Clearly secrecy is possible, but won't be easy to achieve. How would it work? She's not sure. What if they wait? Mike will probably retire in a year. Can they wait a year?

She remembers the way he had taken her - the way her world view had shrunk to just them - to the sounds they made and the way his touch had felt like electricity against her heated flesh.

No. Waiting doesn't seem like a valid option.

Ginny turns her mind to Noah. He was a nice guy. On paper, he had been everything Ginny should want. But this wasn't paper. This was real life and here, in real life, Ginny wants Mike. She wants his bum knees and grouchy silences and long-winded speeches. She wants his laugh and his sparkling eyes and the way he listens. She even wants the beard. She wants all of him.

Nervous, but determined; Ginny picks up her phone and finds his number. She hits the button by his name before she can second guess herself.

"Baker?" He sounds sleepy.

"I'm sorry. I woke you."

"S'okay. What time is it?"

She glances at her nightstand and winces. "5:30. Sorry. I didn't even look at the clock. I can call you back later."

"No need. I'm up. Hey. Missed you last night."

She can hear him yawning into his phone and she pictures him half naked and rumpled and her body shudders slightly. "I'm sorry I didn't show. I just wasn't ready to talk."

"Hey, Rook. It's okay. I told you, no pressure. I meant it. Besides, Blip and I had some beers and we worked through some stuff we needed to talk about."

"The trade?"

"Yeah. He was pissed about all of that and with good reason. Hell, he might still be pissed, but we're headed in the right direction."

"I'm glad."

"Me too. He's a good friend."

They sit in silence for a beat. Ginny finally speaks, her words coming out in a rush. "So, I stayed up most of the night, thinking. I've decided you were right."

"You should probably write that down somewhere for future reference," he says with a chuckle.

She rolls her eyes, but relaxes. "And there he is."

"I was always here, Rook. Always here and I'm listening. Talk to me. What are you thinking?"

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I lied to you about Amelia. I wasn't just upset that you were talking about me. I was jealous that you were with her. Really jealous."

"I know."

"What?"

"I know because I felt the same way when you started talking to Livan."

"All we ever did was talk."

"It didn't matter. Still drove me crazy. And Noah? I hate that guy. I want to beat the shit out of him, but he's got more money than me. Probably a better lawyer."

Ginny chuckles in spite of herself. "You wouldn't have really hit him."

"Oh, I would have, but he's freakishly tall and I was tanked. Wanted to hit him more than I've ever wanted to hit anybody, but I was sitting on the floor and he was way out of my reach..."

"I never thought I'd be glad you were a drunken trainwreck that night, but I am."

"Yeah, well. I'm just saying that I understand about how you felt about Amelia. Not sure that it makes a difference, but the thing with her and I - it never meant anything."

"I really don't want to talk about Amelia."

"Okay."

"But we do need to talk about Rachel. I know that meant something."

She can feel his sigh through the phone.

"Tell me what's going on with her?"

"Nothing ever again. It's over."

"You're sure?"

"Completely. Obviously Rachel and I have history. We were together for a really long time. I thought she was the love of my life. When she cheated on me, I was destroyed. I spiraled out of control. It took me a long time to crawl out of the pit she put me in and even once I was out of it, I still thought I loved her."

Ginny's chest constricts. This hurts so much more than his fling with Amelia had. "And, now?"

"After your interview, she told me that she and David broke up. She looked at me in this way I'd been hoping to see for so long and part of me felt relieved."

"What about the other part?"

"It didn't feel the way I thought it would. It was comfortable but I realized I'd moved on. I wanted to be somewhere else. With someone else."

Ginny feels suddenly nervous and isn't sure she's ready to hear what he has to say. "It's Salvi, isn't it?"

Mike barks out a laugh. "You know it's you, Rookie. Just you."

Her body feels warm as his truth calms each of her fears. "Okay, Have you talked to her?"

"Yeah, I called her after I sobered up. She had already figured it out. Asked if I'd told you how I feel yet."

"Oh. What did you say?"

"Told her I was pretty sure you had figured it out. What about Noah? Is he…" Mike sounds pained. "Is he important to you?"

"He's a nice guy and I'm sorry if I hurt him. Listen, can we not let Noah be a factor here? I screwed up."

"If we can also toss my Rachel relapse, I'll never mention his name again."

"Done."

"So, where does that leave us?"

Ginny tone is teasing when she answers. "I don't know. I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this before, but I don't usually date ball players."

"Yeah, I think I heard something about that." he chuckles.

She can't help but laugh with him. "Maybe I'd be willing to stretch the rules a bit for you."

"I'd like that, but only if we keep it quiet."

"Don't want anyone to know about us?" She teases but there is an element of hurt in her voice.

"No, Ginny. I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want to take out a full page ad in the Union Tribune, but I don't want anyone thinking you didn't earn your place - that you got special treatment."

"Fucking me on that barstool felt pretty special."

He laughs. "That's not what I meant, but I'm glad you thought so. We're gonna be doing a lot more of that. In fact, come over now. I'll send a car."

"I have to pitch today, Old Man. Raincheck?"

"Raincheck."

"So we're doing this?" She asks, her voice a whisper.

"Yeah Rook, we're doing this."

* * *

An hour later, Ginny sits in a cafe a few blocks from the Omni. She picks at a cinnamon roll with her fork while she waits for Amelia Slater to arrive. They need to talk and then they probably need to decide if they can still work together.

The bell on the door rings and Ginny glances up. Amelia looks perfectly put together in her tailored suit and impeccable hair and make-up. Ginny reaches a hand up to tame her curls, feeling a flash of insecurity.

She nods toward Amelia, her expression serious and her stomach a ball of nerves. She has a lot to say and feels that Amelia's response will make or break their relationship. "We need to talk."

Amelia sits and orders coffee from the waitress before facing her client. "Yes. We do." she tilts her head curiously. "You're mad at me about Will, right? I am sorry about pushing you on that, but I'm only looking out for your -"

Ginny holds up a hand. "Just stop. Okay? I've heard it all before. Is this restaurant a bad idea? Maybe it is. I don't know, but he's my brother. He's been with me since the beginning. He's family. He's the only family I have left."

Amelia purses her lips and nods curtly. "Okay. I'll stop pushing you about Will, but there is one you need to know."

Ginny braces herself, motioning Amelia to continue.

"There is no kitchen equipment, Ginny. Never was. He used that money to pay off a big debt to his bookie. That's all I'm going to say. You should talk to Evelyn. She's worried, Okay? This isn't just me being a bitch."

Ginny cocks one eyebrow.

Amelia shrugs with a little smile. "Okay. It's not all me being a bitch."

Ginny takes a steadying breath. "So, he's stealing from me for real?"

"If it helps, I don't think he wanted to. He felt cornered. I think he owed some bad guys a lot of money. He probably thinks he'll be able to pay you back."

Ginny closes her eyes. She's not stupid. She knows that Will has a problem with gambling. It had come up a few times before she got called up. She had hoped it was behind them. "I'll talk to him."

Amelia nods, satisfied. "Okay, now we need to talk about the other thing."

"What other thing?" Ginny asks, but in her heart, she knows. This is going to be about MIke.

Amelia pulls up a web page on her smartphone and shows it to Ginny. "Eliot has been doing all he can to keep this under wraps but unless I can come up with a good explanation for why he was lurking in your hotel, your thing with Mike is going to be public."

Ginny stares wide-eyed at the screen on Amelia's phone.. It's Mike - drunk elevator Mike - looking miserable and lost, surrounded by a bevy of laughing bachelorette party goers. She licks her lips nervously and schools her features before meeting Amelia's eyes. "What does this have to do with me?"

"He was in your hotel elevator, Gin. And this isn't the only picture. He was there for a long time. People know you live there."

"I'm not the only one who -"

"Save it. At least two of the people he met in that elevator claim he was talking about you, saying he was looking for you."

"Oh, god."

"Yeah. Like I said, we need a story we can spread."

Ginny stares at the table, listlessly pushing away the cinnamon roll. "Rachel Patrick."

"What? Mike's ex?"

"Yeah. She was staying there too. Mike was with her in her room."

Amelia's eyes go wide. "Oh."

"Can Eliot work with that?"

Amelia nods. "Yeah, I think we can make that work." She reaches out and puts a hand on Ginny's. "Are you okay? I was sure you and Mike -"

"I'm fine. Mike is fine."

Something in her tone causes Amelia to lean back and reconsider. She tilts her head thoughtfully. "No. I wasn't wrong. Rachel Patrick may have been in that hotel, but he was a mess because of you. The people talking about meeting him - they weren't wrong. You two finally -."

Ginny shrugs, not meeting Amelia's eyes. "What do you mean 'finally'?"

Amelia chuckles, throwing dollars on the table and standing. "I think it's been you for a long time. Even when he was with me, he wasn't really with me. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, maybe. I don't know. Are you going to tell me it's a big mistake?"

"No, but I'm here if you need me. Okay? Not just as your agent, but also as your friend, if you'll let me be one. You know I really do only want what's best for you?"

Ginny feels relief wash over her. "Yeah, I know.

"I do have one suggestion."

"I'm listening."

"Eliot will put out this fire, but if you and Mike get caught together… Eliot can only do so much. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, we have to keep things quiet."

"Beyond quiet, Ginny. Your goal should be complete radio silence right up until one of you isn't a Padre anymore."

* * *

She gets to the park a little early and heads to the gym for a run on the treadmill. It's one of the things she likes to do to loosen up before a game. She sees Mike. He's in the middle of a conversation with Sal, but he glances her way. A lot is said in that moment when their eyes lock and hold. She nods and smiles as she walks by. It's a small smile – almost shy.

The relieved grin he flashes her way in return makes her heart pound and her belly quake.

"You ready for the Mariners, Baker?" he asks over his shoulder.

"I'm always ready. Wanna go over pitchers before?"

He shrugs, all innocence. "Yeah, sure."

Ginny feels a lightness in her step as she starts up the treadmill. They'd both acted completely normal in there. Maybe she and Mike can do this. It will have to be secretive, but Blip and Evelyn are on their side, and Amelia will help if she can.

Ginny and Mike are adults. Professionals. They can compartmentalize, can't they? Work is work. Play is… Well, play is play. She grins as her speed increases. Yeah, they can do this. She's sure of it.

This is a good day.

She's only been on the treadmill for fifteen minutes when her phone rings. It's Will returning her call. She hadn't planned to talk to him til after the game, but before she can suggest he call back later, he's already excitedly talking a mile a minute. Evidently it's a good day for all Bakers.

"Slow down. Slow down. What's going on?"

"G, you won't believe what just happened. I got a call from The Boys and Girls Clubs of North Carolina."

"Okay?" Ginny comes to a stop, wipes her face with a towel, and tries to focus on her brother's nonsensical rambling. "Why did they call you?"

"Only because they heard I'm an amazing mentor and that I have been known to help groom professional athletes in their prime."

"I'm not following."

"They want me, Ginny. They want me to help kids. I guess they heard about all those years I hung around with you and dad and helped."

To say she's surprised is an understatement, but Ginny smiles tentatively at the cheer in her brother's voice. "So, they offered you a job?"

"Not just a job. It's big, Ginny. Really big. I'll be planning programs for underprivileged kids who have shown that they have athletic ability. It means that I have to leave the restaurant idea behind for now, but I'll give you and the Sanders all your money back, so no problem there. The Club is even giving me a moving bonus so I can cut you a check before I leave today."

A weight lifts from her shoulders as the realization dawns. This job offer solves all their problems. Blip and Evi will get their money back and she won't have to confront Will about the missing money. Amelia will be thrilled. "Wait, you're leaving today?"

"Yeah, just after the game. The sooner I get there, the sooner I can get started."

Ginny's smile fades as she disconnects the call. This job offer feels a little too good to be true, and she wonders what strings Amelia had to pull to make it happen.

* * *

Mike is on his way to the locker room to get ready for warm ups when Al yells for him to come into the office. Oscar and Buck are sitting around Al's desk. Al looks irritated. "Oscar wants to shut Ginny down. Says she's over her pitch limit. You agree with that?"

Mike feels blindsided. He's done nothing but think about Ginny for days, but none of thouse thoughts had been about her pitch count. He shakes his head. "Hell no. She's not done." But even as he says it, Mike feels doubt creeping in.

Al leans back and points at Oscar. "He has some kid with charts and numbers - says Baker's gonna get hurt if she pitches much more. What do you think, Mike?" It is clear from Al's expression that he wants Mike to call 'bullshit' and end the conversation quickly.

Mike's gut twists. Ginny would hate getting pulled but she'd sure as hell hate getting injured more. He's really only watched her this one season and can't personally say what she's capable of this far in. "Maybe we should ask Blip. He's the only one who's watched her play a full season before."

Al calls in Blip and Mike asks what he thinks.

Blip sighs. "Well honestly, I think she's running out of gas. Losing steam. Her pitch speed is lower. She's a born gamer, so she hides it, but yeah. I think she's done."

Oscar stands up. "Not done. Not quite yet. Charlie says she has to start today, but we keep her innings limited."

Blip nods. "For the long term good of the team, this should probably be her final outing of the season."

Al sighs. "Damn it. She's gonna be upset. I hate when girls are upset. Sometimes they cry."

Buck shakes his head. "You're not supposed to talk about her like she's a girl. Remember?"

"Yeah. Whatever. Better call her in here. Gonna have to break the news."

Mike holds up a hand. "I can talk to her."

"You sure?" Al asks, clearly relieved.

Mike nods. "Yeah. I'm still team captain, aren't I?" He walks out of Al's office and Blip falls into step beside him.

"Hey, Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"You asking my opinion and not just telling Al yours? That was a real captain move, right there. I know this isn't going to be easy on her, and by extension, you. Anyway, I wanted to say thanks. And I hope things go okay with you two, whatever happens...you know, assuming whatever happens keeps you both on the team and nobody's heart gets broken."

"You're preaching to the choir, Blip. That's what I want too."

"Sounds good, Cap."

Mike grins at him. "So you and me - we're good, right?"

"The best."

* * *

"Hey Baker,I need to talk to you." Mike closes the door to Ginny's closet and leans against it.

She smiles happily when she sees him, but the smile fades when she sees how serious he looks. Her brow furrows. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"They're shutting you down. Today is your final start of the season."

"What? No! They can't do that."

But they can, and Mike explains to her what Oscar and Al had said. He doesn't single out Blip for giving his opinion but he's there for her when she yells and kicks the locker and he's there for her when she takes a deep breath and calms down. "I don't want this to be my last start, Mike. I swear to you that my arm is fine."

"I know. I know." He puts his hands on her shoulders, kneading the tense muscles there.

"It's fine," she says again.

"I know, Baker. I know. Your arm looks fine too." Mike runs a fingertip slowly down her bicep. "And feels damn good."

Ginny's eyes go wide and the corner of her mouth tilts upward. "Mike?"

"We need to warm up for the game, right?"

"Yeah?"

"I have this great idea for that - " He leans in and his lips ghost across hers. He's showing her what he wants but not pushing.

She tilts her chin up and her lips brush his in response. The kiss is soft and light, but swollen with promise. "Need to not be doing this here," she says against his mouth. "Remember?"

His arms slide around her back. "Yeah, I know. It's a terrible idea." He licks into her mouth, tasting her and exploring slowly.

Ginny feels desire rise within like a flame as she sinks into his arms. She sighs into the kiss, but pulls away with a jerk when the door to her private room opens.

Al is standing there, looking sheepish. "She cried, didn't she?" He walks in, shaking his head and wringing his hat in his hands. "I'm sorry, Baker. This wasn't what I wanted, but I have to do what's best for the team. We need you healthy next year. You understand that, right?"

Ginny tries to maintain a straight face. "Yeah, Al. It's okay. I understand. I was just, you know, upset at first but Mike helped me get through it."

Mike coughs in an effort to hide his grin.

Al narrows his eyes and looks back and forth between them. "You two are being weird. Don't be weird." Then he turns and heads toward the door. "Get dressed and then go throw some pitches before the damn game starts."

"Okay, Skipper," Ginny says.

Al glances over his shoulder. "Baker, it's your last start of the season. The stands are full of people who are here to watch you and Lawson do your thing. So, you know - get out there and do it."

As the door shuts behind Al, Ginny and Mike look at each other. They don't speak, but she nods and he reaches out, squeezing her fingers.

It's time for them to do their thing.

* * *

 **A/N No beta. All mistakes are mine. There will be one more chapter – that's where you will find the smut and the happily ever after, etc. The final chapter is written. I'll post it in a couple days. Leave a comment if you have a moment.**


	4. Chapter 4

Mike calls for her screwball. Ginny winds up. Releases. The thwack of the ball hitting Mike's glove sounds louder than usual. It echoes in her head. That's fourteen batters who haven't made it to base.

She concentrates on breathing. _In. Out. In. Out._

Mike calls for a slider. She shakes him off. He calls for her fast ball. She takes a deep breath and delivers the pitch, glimpsing a flash of a grin behind his mask as he easily catches the ball.

Fifteen at bats. Zero hits.

Ginny closes her eyes and squares her shoulders. _Inhale through the nose. Exhale through the mouth. In. Out. In. Out._

Sometimes being on the pitcher's mound can feel like the loneliest place on Earth, but she's not feeling lonely today. If anything, Ginny feels an almost overwhelming sense of calm and she credits it all to her friends, her team, her family and of course Mike - they are all here for her.

Will Baker is in the stands to watch his sister pitch one more time before he heads east. Evelyn, Amelia and Eliot are all here as well, sharing space with the wives and girlfriends in the luxury box. Her fellow Padres are watching her with bated breath from the dug-out, teasing her with a collective (but good natured) cold shoulder as her hitless innings add up.

But it's having Mike behind the plate - meeting his eyes and knowing with every fiber of her being how he feels about her - that warms her heart in a way she's never known before. It is his presence that gives her the strength she needs to do what she needs to do.

No, support isn't the problem today, but that doesn't mean there isn't a problem. It seems that Oscar's numbers guy might have been right. Even though she's on the verge of pitching a no-hitter, she knows her arm is fading. And fading fast. She motions for Mike to come out to the mound.

He jogs out. "Talk to me, Rook."

"I think I'm done."

He nods, his eyes searching hers. "You're sure?"

"Yeah. I think I am. I'm losing steam. Arm is feeling tight." She rotates the shoulder carefully. "What would you do, Mike? I could maybe pitch a - "

"Don't say it."

"Fine. I'll use different words." She rolls her eyes. "If I stay in, I could maybe pitch the _Voldemort_ of baseball..."

"You could do that, and it would be epic or you could hurt yourself and spend next season - maybe my last - on the DL after a Tommy John surgery and I'd have to catch for everyone but you and that would suck." He takes a deep breath.

"So, it's all about you then?"

"Well, it's a little about me." Mike's smile flashes under the beard. "Rookie, if I was in your place, I'd hate to end my season just shy of something like... _this_ , but I'd also want to avoid injury. So, if it was me, I'd call it, but I get why you would want to stay in. It's a gamble. You know how I feel, but what's it going to be? How much of a gambler are you?"

She bites her lip. "I don't like the odds."

"Neither do I. Are your ready to hang it up?"

"Maybe." She bites her lip, attempting to stifle a smile. "But if I do leave the game, I might be frustrated. Sad. Might need someone to cheer me up?" Her eyes sparkle up at him.

He chuckles. "I could probably help you with that."

"Yeah? Well, all right then, get the skipper out here and let's make it official."

Mike motions for Al to send out a reliever and Ginny's season is done, but you wouldn't know it to see her face. Her smile is wide and genuine as she waves at her friends, her family, her teammates and all the cheering fans who stand to applaud and yell.

* * *

They don't leave the park together. Mike leaves first, signing some autographs for fans who have stuck around, before he drives away in his Range Rover. She takes an Uber to her place. Then, just to be sure nobody is following, she takes a different Uber to Evilyn's and Evi drops her off at Mike's.

"Is this going to be a regular thing?" Evi asks with a grin. "Not complaining. I feel like a spy."

"Calm down Double O Evelyn. Not sure how it's going to be, but yeah. Pretty sure my going to Mike's will be a regular thing." Ginny can't hide her satisfied smile.

"Damn, girl. I'm happy for you. I really am. You deserve all the good things and it seems to me like Mike wants to give them to you."

"I don't want his money."

"Good thing I wasn't talking about money, then."

* * *

Mike opens the door before Ginny can knock or ring the bell. "Hey," he says, his eyes soaking her in.

"Hey, yourself." She has a bag slung over one shoulder and he can't help but hope that she has decided to stay over night.

He motions for her to follow him. "Are you hungry? I ordered some take out but wasn't sure what you'd be in the mood for." He leads her into his kitchen. They stare at the counter and now that Mike sees his efforts through fresh eyes, he groans. "Maybe I went overboard."

Ginny drops her bag on the counter and walks closer. "Chinese, pizza, tacos, nachos…" She points at boxes and cartons as she goes along, stopping as she reaches a plain square box. "What is this?"

"Chocolate cake. Ice cream is in the freezer."

"What if I'm not hungry?"

He watches her for a beat, and shrugs. "Then we don't eat."

They stare at each other for a long time, savoring the freedom of being alone even as they fight the awkwardness of this new phase of their relationship. Ginny finally breaks the gaze and chuckles. "Totally kidding. I'm starved. Did you get sweet and sour chicken?"

Mike grins, relieved. "Of course. Those crab rangoon you like too."

"Got any grape soda?"

He turns to the fridge and returns in a moment with a frosty can of Grape Crush. "Your wish is my command."

"Gonna remember that for later." She watches him from under her lashes as she takes a drink from her soda.

He feels a happy warmth grow in his chest. "Good. Cause I meant it."

They eat in silence, just watching each other. Ginny finishes up the carton of sweet and sour while Mike eats a slice of pizza and some fruit. He gets done first. "Full yet?" he asks.

She grins wickedly and shakes her head. "No. Not all of me is full yet."

"Damn, Rookie." He feels his cock twitch in his jeans. "Now it's my turn to remember something for later."

She pushes her carton aside. "I worry about your memory, Old Man, so maybe we should skip to later now."

He stands up and grasps her hand. "I like the way you think."

She preens. "I know."

Mike hesitates, tilting his head to one side. "But what was your name again? You seem familiar." He taps his temple as if searching his memory bank for signs of who she might be.

"Not funny," she laughs.

He pounces, tossing her over his shoulder like she's no heavier than a sack of potatoes before heading to the stairs. She squeals and tries to wiggle down but he smacks her ass. "Don't fight with me, Rook. Would hate to ruin our big moment by throwing out my back."

Ginny stills. "You're right. Wouldn't want that."

When they get to his room, he carefully sets her down. Ginny's hands are on his arms. She gently runs her fingers up and down the cut of his biceps. "Hey, Lawson. Remember last time?"

"I was kidding earlier about forgetting, Rook. I'm not that old. I remember every damn thing."

"Yeah. Me too." She smiles up at him. "But."

"But?" His eyebrows rise.

"Can we go a little slower tonight? Take our time?"

He leans into her, nuzzling the base of her neck. "If that's what you want."

His breath is hot on her flesh. She nods. "It is."

He answers by trailing his lips up the column of her throat. He doesn't rush, pausing here and there to lick and nip at her heated skin. When his lips finally find hers, she is eager for his touch.

Mike pulls back, his eyes black with need. "Oh no. You said slow."

Ginny groans until he moves back in, his lips are soft and supple and he slides them over hers with a feather light caress. His hands are moving as well, stroking the planes of her body, mapping out the pleasure he has planned.

His moves are sensual and languid as he teases her lips with his teeth. Ginny feels his beard against her mouth and cheeks and imagines how it will feel elsewhere.

Mike deepens the kiss, gently exploring her mouth with his tongue. She responds fully, wrapping her arms around his back as they taste one another. He buries his hands in her curls, pulling her even closer. He devours her slowly and Ginny feels her knees weaken.

She runs shaky fingers down the hard lines of his back, edging lower, gently caressing his ass. He growls into the kiss, thrusting his hips against hers. Ginny arches into his body, loving the feel of his need for her as it grows against her belly.

They undress slowly, removing items of clothing only as they get in the way of exploring and touching and worshipping each other.

Naked at last, they fall into his bed. He pushes her gently onto her back, working his way down her body, inch by glorious inch. He licks and kisses and sucks bits of her flesh between his teeth, leaving a tortuous trail of little hickies and patches of beard burn as he works his way south.

Ginny writhes on the bed, watching as he settles low between her legs. His eyes are on hers as he spreads her knees and licks her velvety slit. She bucks against his face and he chuckles wickedly before pushing down her pelvis with his forearm. Once she's still, he does it again, slower this time - as if drawing out this moment is his new goal in life.

He loves the way she tastes - like spice and sunshine - and he buries his face in her heat, sucking and licking and fucking her gently with his probing tongue. He thinks he could die happy right now, and from the sounds Ginny is making, she feels the same way.

Ginny moans as he flicks her clit with the rough of his tongue before sucking it gently into his mouth. Her nerve endings are sending bolts of desire through her body as red hot need burrows deep in her core. "Mike," she whines.

"Hmm?" His mouth is still on her and his question vibrates through her in a way that shoots her over the edge. She shudders and quakes, coming hard as Mike slides two fingers between her drenched pussy lips. He thrusts his fingers in time to feel her heat clench his digits with fluttering spasms.

Ginny collapses, eyes closed and chest heaving. Her voice is a husky whisper. "That was… I can't... There aren't words..."

Mike crawls up her body, nuzzling kisses against her throat. "Just wait. There's more where that came from." He bites at her earlobe as his hips nestle between her thighs. His cock is hard and thick, jutting into her flesh.

She recovers quickly, pivoting up and against him, begging without words to be filled. He props himself up with one arm, using his other hand to cup and stroke her breast. Mike tweaks the nipple, pinching and pulling lightly. "I love your tits, Baker. Gonna spend a lot of time on them later."

She moans as he ruts against her wet center, not entering yet. Teasing.

"Mike?" her plea is desperate.

"Tell me what you want."

"You know."

"Yeah, I do." He takes his dick in hand, sliding it through the messy slick at her entrance, before pressing the flared tip into her ever so gently. Mike pauses there, using his arms to lift his upper body.

"What are you doing?" she pants, lifting her hips to take him in farther.

"Watching." His eyes are black with need and he holds his gaze on where her swollen pussy lips surround the tip of his engorged cock. He pushes in a little bit more, savoring the feel of her tight heat. "Damn. Get up, Rook. You should see this too."

She can't think about anything except taking him deeper but she lifts up on her elbows and follows his gaze. "God, Mike. You're so big."

Mike pushes in a little more. He's still not even half in, but he can feel her cunt stretching to accept his girth. "I could die happy right here."

"Don't die on me yet, Old Man. Need all of you inside me. Need it bad."

"Thought you wanted to take it slow?" He lifts his face, meeting her gaze with his own. He's grinning.

"I think I was wrong."

Mike pulls almost all the way out, leaving only the head of his cock in her pussy. "You sure?"

She nods and he doesn't hesitate, thrusting deep with one surging stroke. "Fuck," he moans, pulling out again only to sink in deeper.

Ginny is scrabbling at his shoulders, scraping his back with her short fingernails and arching for more. More of his cock. More of his thrusting. More Mike. More.

He begins to pump in and out with long sure thrusts, stretching and filling. He bottoms out and pulls one of her calves over his shoulder. They are a sweaty, panting mess and neither one cares at all.

Mike grimaces and Ginny feels a change in him. "You okay?"

"My back." He slows, still deep inside. "Need a little time out. Gotta switch it up a bit." He pulls from her pussy and crawls up to sit at the head of his bed, with his back to the headboard and his cock throbbing and wet against his belly. "Come up here, Gin."

"Timeout is over?"

"Yeah. Timeout is over."

Ginny grins at him, crawling her way up his body, taking a moment to lick a stripe of her essence from the base of his cock. He moans, pulling at her arms to bring her into his lap. She lines him up and settles down, sheathing his throbbing penis until she's seated flush with his hips.

She rotates and lifts, sighing happily at the feel of his cock so deep inside. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her against his body. His mouth finds hers and they kiss as she rides. The pace of the kiss matches their coupling - leisurely and perfect.

As she moves, slowly bouncing up and down, he grasps the globes of her ass in his hands, squeezing firmly. She digs her fingers into his shoulders. And the kiss continues.

She can taste herself on his lips, feel her moisture on his beard. Ginny feels another orgasm building within her and she moves faster, chasing it, still not breaking the contact of her mouth on his.

Ginny's body shudders and Mike feels his balls tighten. He keeps one hand on her ass, moving the fingers from his free hand down in front to stroke her clit rhythmically. She stiffens around him, crying out his name as she comes. Her velvety cunt grips and pulls at him as she crests. He follows, yanking her hips down hard against his as he shoots his load deep in her pussy as it milks him dry.

"Damnit, Baker."

"Yeah."

"That was -"

She nods, satisfied, cocky and maybe a little sleepy. "No words, right? I know."

They are laughing as they separate to lie side by side. He grasps for her hand and squeezes her fingers. "You are amazing."

"Mmm, you too."

He pulls her into his arms, burying his face in her curls. "True."

"God, you're a jerk," she laughs.

"Well, this jerk has worked up an appetite. Food?"

Ginny kisses him, biting at his lower lip playfully. "You stay here and take care of your back. I'll bring food."

"My back is okay. Really, it's -" He tries to sit up but groans. "Yeah, you go get the food, Baker. I think you broke me."

Ginny presses one final kiss on his forehead before bounding out of bed with a grin. "Don't worry. I'll fix everything I broke with some cold pizza and pain killers. Be right back."

He watches in awe as she walks across his room, her youth and exuberance in stark contrast to the new twinge in his back and the ache in his knees. Mike doesn't dwell on his minor discomfort. Instead, he watches her perfect naked ass as it sashays away. "Don't forget I live in a literal glass house, Baker," he calls after her. "You could wear a shirt or something."

She returns several minutes later, still deliciously naked, but with arms loaded. "Pizza, Doritos, Chocolate cake and drinks."

"Jesus, Baker. Did you bring enough for both of us, or is that all for you?" He catches the bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol she tosses his way.

"You aren't the only one with an appetite. Awesome sex makes me hungry."

"Awesome sex, huh?" He smirks as he swallows two capsules dry.

"Well, I mean it was okay." She takes a bite of pepperoni pizza and grins as she chews.

"Give me some of that food, liar."

She passes him the bag of chips and a Red Bull. Popping open a can of grape soda for herself; she watches him. "This is good, isn't it?"

"They're a little stale…"

She punches him playfully. "Not the chips, Old Man. This. _Us_."

"Yeah." He nods, taking a drink. "It's really good."

"The secrecy thing is going to suck."

He nods. "Yeah, but it's a small price to pay."

"You're right. It will be worth it. And maybe we can get away some time, just us - somewhere that we don't have to be so secretive. Away from San Diego. Away from Baseball." She grins at him. "We'll use fake names..."

"And disguises?" He looks skeptical. "They better be good ones, because people will know us. I mean, we aren't the Kardashians but we will be recognized, even if we're in a different city."

She frowns. "Yeah, I guess I could wear a hat and sunglasses? You could shave?"

Mike shakes his head. "Nice try. If I shaved, it would break your heart. You love the beard."

Ginny's smile fades and her eyes heat up as she remembers just how much she does, in fact, love the beard. "I'll admit that might be a little bit true."

"Little bit?"

She shrugs playfully, taking another bite of pizza.

"So where are we going on this incognito vacation of yours?"

She thinks about it for a time, taking another drink of her soda to wash down the pizza. "Paris? Tahiti? Maybe you could go with me to visit my Mom? She loves you. Wouldn't even have to shave since she knows who you are already."

"What's going on with your mom?"

"Nothing. She's just been pushing for us to catch up. And I'm trying to be more open, or whatever."

"Maybe we can do that, Rook. We could tell your mom we're just friends."

Ginny nods. "Yeah. That works. Maybe you could meet my brother too. He's moving back home so he'll be there."

A flash of something undefinable passes across his face. "Your brother? I think I met him once, maybe."

Ginny has a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and she carefully sets the pizza box aside, watching him.

He is having trouble meeting her eyes.

"Oh, god. It wasn't Amelia. It was you, wasn't it?"

"Me what?" His expression is guarded.

"You made that job happen for Will. You got my money and Blip and Evelyn's money back." She frowns. "Tell me the truth."

He scowls, swinging his feet to the floor and standing stiffly. He turns and faces her with a sigh. "Fine. You caught me, Rookie. I paid a charity in North Carolina to bankroll a new position and told them to recruit your brother. It was a win-win. Good for that charity and good for your brother. It was anonymous so unless you tell him, he'll never know. You weren't ever supposed to know either."

Ginny is flabbergasted. "But, why? Why would you do that?"

"Because Blip was freaking out about losing money and Evelyn was sick because of it and they were both worried about you and said you were stressed out. Blip said this was causing tension between you and Amelia. I wanted for you to not worry about anything and I wanted your brother to not feel singled out or like you didn't trust him..."

She yanks a blanket up to cover her body. "I don't need you to be my knight in shining armor."

Mike grabs his discarded boxes from the floor and pulls them up over his hips. "I get that you like to be independent and take care of yourself, but sometimes it's okay to get help."

"I didn't ask for your help."

"You didn't have to."

"I don't need to be saved, not by you. Not by anyone," she says as her breathing becomes labored.

"Breathe, Ginny. Breathe." He places his hands on her shoulders, hoping to help her avoid another panic attack.

She shakes him off, but her breathing calms. "Why did you do it? Why would you think that I -"

Mike kneels down in front of her, gently stroking her hair away from her face. "From what Blip told me, your brother is a lot like my mom. And there were times over the years that I think she could have benefited from someone helping her out. But it never happened. Anyway, that doesn't matter."

"It does matter. Why would you think you could just fix my problems without asking me first? Will is not your family. He's mine. I should be the one to help him."

"You are way smarter than this, Baker. You have to know why I did it."

She shakes her head as tears threaten. "No. I don't know. Tell me."

"I'm gonna be your knight in shining armor as often as i can be and I'm gonna save you every damn time that I have the opportunity. It's not because you can't do it on your own. You are strong and amazing and self sufficient and perfect. It's not that you need me to be your hero. You don't. It's because that is the kind of shit that a man like me does when he loves a woman like you."

Ginny's eyes are wide. "Wait. You love me, Lawson? But -"

"No buts. I love you, Ginny Baker." He wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. "I know it's going to be difficult because we'll have to keep it quiet. I know it may get awkward because we work together. I know that I'm older and someday you are probably going to regret hitching your wagon to this old horse, but none of that matters to me because I love you with all I got."

Ginny isn't used to accepting help, but she's not used to this either - this feeling of being loved. Wanted. Cherished. So, he wants to help her. Someday maybe she'll be in a position to return the favor. After all, that's probably the kind of thing a woman like her does when she loves a guy like him…and yes, she loves him too. Ginny almost says it out loud, but her mouth is dry and the words won't come. Not yet.

Ginny takes a deep steadying breath as he runs his hands over the planes of her back. She lets everything he's said soak into her heart where it soothes her worry. "I can't believe you love me."

"Well, I do."

She reaches up, stroking his chin and sliding her fingers through his beard. Her eyes shine with the feelings she isn't yet ready to put in words. "Show me?"

"Only for as long as we live, Rook."

"Well, that's a start."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone who left a comment or kudo. Your feedback and support have been amazing and lovely and you all deserve a big virtual high five. Thanks also, to WildIrish, my dear friend, who gave me some assistance with this fic and who lured me into the Pitch fold to begin with. I love it here, by the way. It's cozy.**

 **This started dark and angsty and then (because evidently regardless of fandom, I am incapable of leaving a story without tacking on an HEA) it became something else entirely. I'd love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment if you have a moment.**


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